358 sq.km area captured - MoD

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 June 1999, 21:16 GMT]The Operational Head Quarters of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a communiqué issued this evening that the areas up to Vidathalthivu in the Mannar district have been captured by the SLA in two days operation which concluded this morning.

The new operation was code named Ranagosa IV.

The communiqué said that an area of 358 sq.km has been captured from the LTTE during this operation.

Twenty eight additional Grama Sevaka officers' divisions along with 20 thousand people are now under the control of the SLA, according to the MoD statement.

The western coast has been linked with the eastern flank areas that were under the control of the army without any resistance from the LTTE, the SLA said.